The Demolition of a Beloved Georgia Landmark

On Monday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 a.m., the beloved Georgia Dome was demolished. With the citizens of Georgia watch, a classic heartfelt landmark, associated with some great family memories, was destroyed. Right at 7:30, nearly 5,000 pounds of explosives imploded the 71,250-seat stadium in about 15 seconds, with the roof falling in 12 seconds.

Nearly 5,000 pounds of explosives imploded the 71,250-seat stadium in about 15 seconds, with the roof falling in 12 seconds. Photo Courtesy of Google Images.

“I have always loved experiencing Falcons games first hand, and I have so many memories in the Georgia Dome. I was so sad to see it go. All of my memories there will live on, and the new stadium cannot replace them!” (Zachary Mitchell-Norman, Junior) For almost 24 years the Georgia Dome was the home of the Atlanta Falcons, the SEC Championship Game, and countless other sporting events in downtown Atlanta. The Dome’s Twitter account reports that, from 1992-2017, it hosted more than 39 million fans at over 1,400 events that generated over $7.4 billion for the state. The Dome was torn down just last month and was replaced by the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium right next door.

The Mercedes-Benz is still going to incorporate the Dome into the new stadium. Space where the Dome once stood will be turned into “The Home Depot Backyard,” a 13-acre green space that’ll be used for game day parking, arts and culture events, entertainment, and community events starting in 2018.

Although there was not a designated viewing area to watch the demolition, many people watched from other various buildings throughout Atlanta. In a quote from Falcons CEO and President Rich McKay, he states, “It was a really functional building that served its purpose very well. “We did not want to build a better Georgia Dome. That was not the object. If we would have done that, we would have renovated the Georgia Dome. We really wanted to change the game and do it for a long, long time.”

The Georgia Dome being demolished to make extra space for the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Photo courtesy of Google Images.

“Well, I remember my first Falcons game like it was yesterday. I got my first Falcons jersey (it was Matt Ryan) when I got to the game! When I first got to the game, we were losing very badly, and the spirits were getting low. Then, we ended up pulling through and winning the game! Memories like these, in the Georgia Dome, will never be replaced, even with a new stadium.” (Grayson Gorman, Junior)

Although there was not a designated viewing area to watch the demolition, many people watched from other various buildings throughout Atlanta. Photo courtesy of Google Images.

Although the demolition of the very memorable Georgia Dome was looked down upon by many, it is very easy to quickly get over those feelings of sadness and ruined memories, considering the new and very expensive stadium just next door.